E3 2016 – Warhammer 40: Inquisitor – Martyr Preview – Mouthful of a Name (PS4)

2016 and 2017 are becoming the years of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K (WH40K), and I personally couldn’t be happier. Warhammer 40000: Eternal Crusade is releasing later this year (supposedly), as is Space Hulk: Deathwing, not to mention other PC games no one here cares about, and then finally, Warhammer 40000: Inquisitor – Martyr will release in early 2017. It’s such a good time to be a WH40K fan.

The Inquisition and consequently the fellow Inquisitors are not Space Marines, but a sect of secret police who are charged with protecting humanity and the Imperium from the forces of evil and Chaos. The Inquisitors have few rules or limitations, and they only answer to the Emperor himself. Inquisitors are typically sent to investigate any problems within the Imperium and its numerous organizations. Inquisitors are essentially the police department’s office of Internal Affairs, but with even broader jurisdiction and almost unlimited power. 

Not only does no one expect the Inquisition, but no one wants them around, either. Death typically follows wherever they go.

There Is No Place for the Weak-Willed or Hesitant.

Inquisitor – Martyr (from here on out, let’s just call it Martyr for brevity’s sake) is an isometric open world sandbox action-RPG where players take on the role of an all-powerful Inquisitor and do whatever they want, as Inquisitors are wont to do. The player’s Inquisitor is investigating the Caligari sector, which includes hundreds of star systems for the player to explore, wreak havoc, and find clues for his or her impending investigation. 

Players will have three classes of Inquisitors to choose from, but at this time, Neocore only shared with us two of these classes: the Dreadnought and the Assassin. The Dreadnought is what you’d expect when you think of an Inquisitor—a hulking mass in armor with a chain gun weapon and a flair for the dramatic. The Assassin is female and is quite lighter on her feet than the Dreadnought. She is just as huge, but she doesn’t wear as much armor. Her weapon of choice, from what we were able to see, is a katana-like blade that’s almost as long as she is.

Each class has its own unique skill trees with both active and passive abilities. With these classes and abilities, players can tailor the Inquisitor to their own playstyle and approach each mission, dungeon, and/or exploration point however they wish, whether it’s stealthily or running and gunning. I’m going to have to try out all three just to see how it affects the gameplay as well as the sector and the investigation. 

No Sacrifice Is Too Great.

Even though the view is top-down, the combat system is cover-based. That said, though, cover can be easily destroyed. That’s kind of what happens when you have ginormous Inquisitors in overkill battle armor going up against Helbrutes. 

While the skill trees and sandbox nature of Martyr give players options for how to fight bosses and approach enemies, you will still have be as tactical as an Inquisitor as you plan your attack. Every ability has a cool-down meter, including healing potions, which will force players to plan nearly every move they make. 

Martyr will also have an extensive crafting system, although the developer wouldn’t go into detail at this time as to what this will entail. When one hears “extensive crafting” with an RPG, action-based or not, one assumes this includes creating and upgrading weapons, armor, accessories, and potions at the very least. 

No Treachery Is Too Small.

This is a WH40K game, so of course there will be various forms of multiplayer action. For starters, the main campaign can be played alone or co-operatively with three other Inquisitors. In addition, Inquisitors can join various clans and take part in world events with their other clan members. The co-op multiplayer missions you and your friends choose in your clan can change the overall state of the Caligari sector, and therefore open up unique missions for your clan.

And yes, there is PvP, but it’s with a small catch. Neocore didn’t want to set Inquisitors against one another, as that felt boring to them. Inquisitors are extremely powerful beings, and sending massive Inquisitors into battle seems as futile as the Hulk battling with Groot. Instead, Neocore will give players the option to build Fortresses with their own Inquisitorial army, and these armies can raid other players’ Fortresses. Of course, don’t forget to defend your own Fortress while raiding others’. 

Neocore had a pre-alpha build of Warhammer 40000: Inquisitor – Martyr to show at E3, and it did look a bit rough. Fortunately they’ll have plenty of time to get the game up to snuff, as it’s not planned for release until first quarter 2017 on PlayStation 4.